MS Gann is the fifth cruise ship to visit UK port with passengers onboard in the past 40 years
By
Rebecca Gibson |
The Port of Sunderland in North East England welcomed its first passenger-carrying ship in more than 15 years on 28 June.
Arriving at the port with more than 140 tourists from Stavanger in Norway, the 6,257gt MS Gann is the fifth cruise ship to visit Sunderland with passengers onboard in the past 40 years, and the first since the turn of the century. Port staff and the city’s mayor, Councillor Barry Curran, greeted passengers before they departed on organised tours.
“The city has a fantastic port, with a team who really cannot do enough to welcome people to the city, and we also have a great deal to offer as a visitor destination,” said Curran. “To have a cruise ship in the port is the beginning of a new era for us, and of course, the port’s closeness to the city centre means it couldn’t be easier for people to travel from the port to enjoy all of the great shops, bars, restaurants and attractions we have in close proximity.”
The call was organised by tour operator Northern Secrets following MS Gann’s first visit in April 2014, when she called during a training exercise after an unscheduled diversion meant she could not dock at her intended port.
“I was aboard MS Gann during last year’s visit to the port, and both as a captain of a training ship then, and as the captain of a cruise ship today, the welcome given to us by the Port of Sunderland has been marvellous,” said Captain Svein Ivar Olaussen.
The Port of Sunderland is already in discussions with Northern Secrets, and other cruise operators, to schedule further calls.
“MS Gann visited us last year, when it had to be diverted from its intended destination, and the crew was so impressed by the city that they immediately started a discussion with us about arranging a visitor trip,” said Matthew Hunt, director of Port of Sunderland. “We are already in really positive discussions about more cruise ships visiting the port, so we expect that the MS Gann is only the beginning for us. It is adding an new dimension to the port’s offer.”